The Portuguese National Commission of the International Council of Museums (ICOM Portugal) expressed today, in a statement, its «deep apprehension about the future and final destination» of the Cork Museum estate, purchased at public auction on Friday by Grupo Nogueira.
the concern of ICOM Portugal it extends to the Fábrica do Inglês building, which houses that museum in one of its wings. On the same day, Fábrica do Inglês was sold by Caixa Geral de Depósitos, the largest creditor of Fábrica do Inglês Gestão de Empresas Imobiliárias e Turísticas SA, in the context of whose insolvency the public auction took place.
ICOM Portugal considers that, after these auction sales, it is “in situations that are not yet fully clarified and to which a response is required”.
This body was especially concerned with the «separation between physical space» of the Cork Museum, integrated in the global lot of the Fábrica do Inglês building, auctioned by CGD and classified as of municipal interest, and its “industrial collection”, integrated in an autonomous lot and auctioned by the Nogueira Group.
Therefore, he stresses that it is "important to clarify, with various public entities (Municipality of Silves, Regional Directorate of Culture of the Algarve and General Directorate of Cultural Heritage) and private entities (Grupo Nogueira and CGD), the implications of this new situation for the Museum" .
ICOM Portugal also stresses that it is “necessary to know, given the intentions already expressed by the current owner of the collection (Grupo Nogueira), to ensure the maintenance of the Cork Museum, how it intends to do it, in order to guarantee the minimum conditions. management, programming and compliance with the museological functions required for credibility and ethical and deontological affirmation as a Museum, representative of the strong local cork community and recognized with the prestigious “Luigi Micheletti” prize, awarded in the European industrial museological context».
Invoking its "principles in the defense and enhancement of Portuguese museums and their professionals", ICOM Portugal stresses its "commitment in this case" and adds that it wants to "contribute to finding the best solution for the Cork Museum in Silves, between all the entities involved'. And he also defends that such a solution “will constitute a good example for Portuguese museology”.
As had already happened with the previous director of ICOM Portugal, elected in 2010, the new director, elected this year, states that it will remain “attentive to the evolution of the situation”.
An attention that, this time, will be even closer, since this direction of that entity integrates two Algarveans for the first time: Dália Paulo, former regional director of Culture and current director of the Loulé Municipal Museum, and José Gameiro, scientific director of the Portimão Museum and member of the EMYA/Museum of the Council of Europe international jury.
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